Rocking to the side, she bumped her shoulder against his. The corner of his mouth quirked up as his big hand closed around hers. A little quiver of warmth shot through her when he lifted her fingers to his lips. “Aye, for that. But only that.” He frowned at the castle as if it could answer all their questions. “I wonder what he thinks is so important about this woman?”
Emmy shrugged. “We could knock and find out.”
“Oh, I wouldnae do that.” They both jumped at the gravelly voice. “No’ just yet, in any case.”
“Jesus H. Christ, Donell!” She pressed her palm to her thundering heart. “Don’t do that!”
“Gi’ ye a start, did I?” The old man chuckled, his blue eyes twinkling with merriment.
“I’d like to gi’ ye a start or two,” Connor grumbled and drew Emmy behind him as if he might somehow protect her from the little man.
“Och, none of that nonsense. I’ve nae intention of hurting yer lass. I need her.”
“Who is this woman?” The question had been eating at Emmy. “Another one of your little projects?”
“No’ another one.Theone,” Donell muttered beneath his breath. “Now, time’s a wasting. We need to hurry on.”
“Hurry? But it doesn’t even look like anyone’s home.”
“Nay, no’anymorebut…”
“What do you mea—” A gasp of horror cut short the word. “Oh, no you don’t!”
* * *
There was the light, like a flash of sunlight reflecting off the air around them. Then a sensation Emmy recalled with nauseating detail and no small amount of apprehension. Just like when she’d first moved through time from the Duart Castle of 2010 to the same spot in 1895, the walls of Dunskirk castle lost their patina of age, growing lighter, brighter. But to her astonishment, most of the castle walls vanished completely. The soaring spires, gone. The massive center hall, gone. The ornate crenellations of the curtain wall diminished in height until they were shorter but far more battle-ready proportions. A few seconds later all that remained within the confines of the wall were the keep and one stocky tower to the west.
Gone was the sunny day, too. The sky crowded with clouds until it was a tumultuous gray overhead, rain threatening. Or perhaps snow, given the sudden chill.
A shuddering inhale shook her from head to toe. “Holy sh…shite buckets,” she exhaled with a visible breath.
Connor’s warm hand splayed comfortingly at the small of her back and he bent his head to hers. “Ye’ve really been working on yer propensity to swear, lass. I’m proud of ye, but I think in this instance the moment calls for a sound profanity.”
His protective proximity and humor eased some of her shock. “No, I think I’m good for the moment.”
His chuckle brushed her cheek. “I may no’ be though. This is…”
“I know, right? Maybe now you’ll think back upon my arrival in your time with a little more sympathy.” She tucked her hands into the crook of his arm for added warmth. “At least you knew it was coming…well, at least you knew it was possible.”
“Aye, I wisnae considering probable, however.”
“Aye, aye, ‘tis a bluidy marvel,” Donell groused, and with an impatient wave of his hand, strode forward through the open gates of the smaller curtain wall. The front door they’d been about to enter no longer existed wherever—or whenever they currently were. “We dinnae hae all day.”
“I wonder how you can say things like that,” Emmy mumbled to his back as they followed. “It seems to me you have all the time in the world.”
“It disnae work that way, lass.”
Emmy arched a wry brow. “How does it work then? I’ve always been curious.”
The old man flicked his hand, the motion ripe with irritation. “I cannae just pick people up and move them aboot.”
“I thought that’s exactly what you did.”
“Through time but no’ space.”
Emmy frowned. “Not space? Of course you do.”
Donell merely flicked his wrist again and pounded insistently on the door of the low keep as they reached it.
